First FIFA 16 Woman Cover Star: Stephanie Catley

Editor: fifa16mall Time: 07/20/2015

With the introduction of female players to “FIFA 16,” it comes as no surprise for a woman to grace the cover of Electronic Arts’ upcoming football title. For the chosen athlete of the cover, this meant being the first woman athlete to be on the cover of the franchise.

Australia’s Stephanie Catley has been announced as the lucky athlete to make cover history. However, she will only appear on Australia’s version of the game.

Stephanie Catley proved that the she was one of the favorite players by the Aussie voters. Catley started her career at the age of 15 in 2009 where she made three starts during her first professional season. In 2013, she led the Melbourne Victory FC to their first league championship game, after losing out to Sydney FC in the previous year. At the end of the 2013-14 W-League Season, she signed with NWSL team Portland Thorns. In 2014, her first appearance in Thorns FC was against the Western New York Flash, and she had play full 90 minutes.

During the interview, she also issued a statement on her being on the cover of FIFA 16.

“Words can’t describe the excitement I’m feeling about being on the cover of ‘FIFA 16,’ it’s a dream come true!” said Catley in a statement. “It’s been a huge year for the Westfield Matildas, and getting this recognition from EA SPORTS and FIFA fans for all our hard work is a great step forward for women’s football on both a local and global scale.”

She will be a playable character in the game. In addition to this, she will be on the cover together with the male cover star Lionel Messi. According to EA, the official unveiling of the Australian “FIFA 16” will take place on Aug. 13 at Sydney.